Hello from Eric in Glide Oregon

[ophiuchus_99]

I was born and raised in Wisconsin and my father was a cheesemaker.  I grew up in the cheesemaking industry and got my cheesemaking license when i was 18.  I only made cheese for a few years and got in the plumbing trade.

That was 25 years ago.  Last year I decided I wanted to revisit the cheese making world so I started putting together a very small cheese making system that I may eventually be able to turn in to a legal micro dairy.  I found a local farm where I could buy a share of a cow in order to get raw milk and also purchased a legal 4 gallon vat pasteurizing system and a combination drain and press table from Micro Dairy Designs to get things started. 

Since then I have made a few changes to the Micro Dairy equipment like adding a circulating system for the water jacket.  I also found that I really needed a heated drain table to make cheddar properly so I built a little water jacketed drain table that uses my beer brewing burner and kettle as the heat source and a chugger pump to circulate the hot water through the jacket.

It has been a long time since I made cheese but the ability is still there, although a bit foggy.  I am having fun and learning with every batch I make.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the photos. Those of us pottering around in our home kitchens can only drool and turn green.

I found a local farm where I could buy a share of a cow

I presume you got the udder.

Have a cheese from me for you ingenuity in modifying and constructing your equipment.

[valley ranch]

What I see there looks pretty good!

[Duntov]

AC4U for joining our group.  Looking forward to you sharing your ideas and knowledge.  Welcome!

[H-K-J]

Yes welcome to the forum,
I live a few minutes south of you (tri-city area)
What a nice set up, A cheese from me also

[Paine88]

Welcome, and a cheese for you

[ophiuchus_99]

4 gallons of raw milk. It will be an early start tomorrow.

[Danbo]

What a nice setup... That deserves a cheese! :-)

[Gregore]

Don't let any of us come and watch you make cheese cause all were going to,do is drool all over that set up of yours , and then you spend most of your time cleaning it of said drool.

[ophiuchus_99]

I get to try out the drain table for the first time tomorrow.

I've been up all night making a mini stainless cheese rake and a curd screen for the end of the drain table. I hope it works as good as I think it will.

[Semajzemog]

Glad to meet you Ophiuchus-99! Wow, nice work on your build out! It's one thing to have the idea, but another to act on it. Congrats! I can't be sure, but did you do those seamless welds yourself? 

[ophiuchus_99]

Glad to meet you Ophiuchus-99! Wow, nice work on your build out! It's one thing to have the idea, but another to act on it. Congrats! I can't be sure, but did you do those seamless welds yourself?

I did do them on the drain table, but nothing on the pasteurizing vat.